Pages

Thursday, December 15, 2011

Accordion is an instrument that gets along well with virtually every genre of music, at least the major genres. You hear the instrument in bluegrass, Parisian chanson, Italian café music, and world jazz. French accordionist Jacques Pellarin and his quartet perform music that weds Parisian café with jazz, though this is not Paris Combo. On the album Sup Dude Pellarin doesn’t include the French gypsy swing element that you would expect from French jazz, but surprises me with a performance style that recalls Galician jazz. Listen to the intro for the titular track and if you’re familiar with Galician music, you’ll hear those musical strains. I’m reminded of the Spanish band Engado. So Frenchy sounds Spanish too, leaving me wondering about the ironic title. In any case, Pellarin’s fingers fly across the keys of his accordion in a way that conjures the image of a global music traveler.

Pellarin’s quartet combines the accordion with Diego Fano's lyrical saxophone, Yann Pajean's kit drums and Renaud Bourquard's crunchy electric guitar (that feels out of place to me at times). I especially like the passages when the accordion takes flight or joins a conversation with the saxophone, meanwhile Pajean keeps a steady beat going. Heading back to Spain, Luz y Fuerza spices the recording up with Andalusian and Galician flavors. The musicians heat up the place with this musical mixture. And I’m guessing this is a fun quartet to catch live on a sultry night in France, Spain, or anywhere.

Followers

About Me

I am a musician, instructor, novelist and veteran arts journalist with an interest in the healing powers of music. I am the author of Whole Music (Soul Food for the Mind Body Spirit). I launched The Whole Music Experience in 2007 to promote the healing potential of mainly traditional and classical music. I started teaching music awareness workshops in 2009.
I also post articles on World Music Central and contribute to print publications.
I believe that high vibrational music heals individuals and communities through cultural exchange, music preservation and music therapy. Music, similar to prayer and meditation moves us to a place deep within us, thus promoting peace, but it depends on the music too.
I've published articles in Global Rhythm, World Music Central, Early Music America, Skagit Valley Herald "A & E Monthly," and other fine music publications.

Endorsement for a Whole Music Experience workshop

I took the “Developing a Healthy Music Diet” class in winter quarter and had a great time with it. The musical examples Patricia provided in class were diverse and stimulating. The experiential part was easy to manage and I achieved a beneficial result for my health and well-being – releasing a stress pattern and obtaining restful sleep for the first time in many weeks!

I recommend this class to anyone who is interested in expanding and enriching their consciousness of how the music they listen to, or could be listening to, affects their quality of life, or to anyone who works in a healing profession and utilizes environmental music or sound as a complementary modality. I also highly recommend visiting Patricia’s expansive blog on healing music (The Whole Music Experience). ---Allan Tamm

Attention: Blog Copyright Policy

If you are a musician, promotor or label whose work has been written about on this blog, please note the following policy.

If you want to mention reviews & articles on Facebook or My Space, other similar type sites, only use a two sentence quote from a review or article and then include the URL, http://www.wholemusicexp.blogspot.com/

Statistics (Not accurate)

To St. Francesco & St. Chiara of Assisi

May we all lift our voices in songs of joy & treat all creatureswith love & respect.

Disclaimer:

This blog is meant to suggests ideas and projectsthat might be healing to a community or an individual.If readers have a specific health problem,the advice is to see a qualified health provider.What works for one person, might not for another.

This blog features an array of healing musicfrom community projects, cultural preservationto sound healing.